Webb, now 32, has had three straight solid seasons. He doesn’t overpower hitters or have precision control, but he can miss bats and barrels.
He has thrown at least 53 2/3 innings in each of the past three campaigns. His earned run average was 3.69 or lower in each of these. He walked 10.3% of the batters he faced during that time, a percentage that was slightly higher than average. His groundball rate of 34.1% was also worse than par. His strikeout rate of 23.5% was better than average, but just barely.
Despite these disappointing peripherals, he has kept runs off the board. He may have had some help from the baseball gods, as he has only allowed a .235 batting average on balls in play over those three years, about 55 points below average. His beach percentage of 77.6% also leans towards the lucky side. His 4.11 FIP and 4.10 SIERA are skeptical of his 3.22 ERA for that span.
However, it may not be entirely luck. Statcast has found Webb’s exit velocity allowed to be in the 70th percentile or better in each of the past three years, including the 95th percentile in 2025. His hard-hit percentage was middle of the pack in 2023, but 82nd percentile or better in each of the past two seasons. Its barrel rate was at the 85th percentile or better in 2023 and 2025, but with a dip to 46th in 2024.
Despite the solid run of results, Webb has been fairly nomadic, perhaps because his arsenal is not dominant. His fastball averages 93 to 95 miles per hour, while he also throws a changeup and sweeper in the low 80s. Teams like speed and strikeouts these days and may have been a little skeptical of Webb’s numbers.
He was stuck in the minors in 2022 and passed on unclaimed waivers that year. Entering 2023, he settled for a minor league deal with the Angels. He eventually got a roster spot in Anaheim, but went to the Orioles on waivers.
He stayed with the Orioles for just over a year, from August 2023 through the end of 2024. He posted a 3.02 ERA for Baltimore in 2024 and could have been retained for 2025, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a modest $1.7 million salary, but the O’s surprisingly didn’t tender him.
The Rangers signed Webb and guaranteed him $1.25 million plus bonuses. That turned out to be a great investment for Texas, with Webb posting a flat 3.00 ERA this year. But once again, Webb was non-tendered despite a modest salary projection of $2 million through 2026.
The Cubs love to build a bullpen on the cheap. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer earned his current title in November 2020, going five offseasons without signing a reliever to a multi-year deal. Their 2025 relief corps included contributions from Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, Drew Pomeranz, Ryan Pressley, Andrew Kittredge And Taylor Rogersall of whom were acquired via trade or signed modest one-year deals, or sometimes even minor league deals.
That strategy has been effective for the Cubs, as they’ve had decent results in the bullpen without burdensome commitments. The downside is that so many short-term commitments result in a lot of guys hitting free agency at the end of the season.
From 2026 onwards there was work to be done in rebuilding the auxiliary corps. Hoyer finally broke his streak and signed it to a two-year contract Phil Matonalthough the $14.5 million guarantee was still quite affordable. The club has also added links Hobby Milner to a one-year deal with $3.75 million guaranteed. Perhaps coincidentally, Maton, Milner and Webb ended the 2025 season with the Rangers.
In addition to digging a drainage trench from Arlington to Wrigley, the Cubs also brought Thielbar back with a $4.5 million guarantee. Those four signatories should fit next to it Daniel Palencia in the bullpen. The Cubs could give the final spots to in-house weapons like Porter Hodge, Ethan Roberts, Lucas Klein and others, but those guys still have options, so the Cubs could still find more outside additions in what’s left of the offseason.
Photo courtesy of David Frerker, Tim Heitman, Imagn Images
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